30 Aug 2013

They spend their time juggling their hectic careers with a relationship under the spotlight.But
despite the pressures that come with being in the public eye, Frank
Lampard is as close to fiancé Christine Bleakely as ever, describing her
as his 'best friend.'The
footballer has opened up about his love for the TV presenter who he will
soon wed, while admitting that losing his beloved mother Pat back in
2008 'changed him as a person.'

'Best friends': Frank Lampard has admitted that
fiancé Christine Bleakley is his best friend and that they are gearing
up for their wedding

'We know what we're going to do, and we're going to do it in out own time,' he added, clearly not wanting to give too much away.

Tight-lipped: Frank has admitted that his wedding is imminent, but is keeping the details to himself

Back in the game: Frank signed a new contract with Chelsea back in May and has just kicked off the new season

The couple met back in
2009, just a year after Frank's relationship with Elen Rivas broke down,
and they got engaged two years later.

The full interview with Frank Lampard is in this week's edition of ES Magazine

And while speculation has been
rife as to when they will tie the knot, the pair have kept all of the
details quiet, admitting that they want the ceremony to go under the
radar.'There are so many rumours about weddings getting postponed and all of this nonsense,’ he said in This Morning last month.'We
never had any wedding planned but we certainly are going to get
married. But we would love to do it when no-one knows and we’re just
done. That would be our style, I think.'Frank's
relationship with former fiancé Elen ended not long after his mother
died in 2008, an event which he admits 'changed him.'After
Pat unexpectedly died at the age of 58, Frank revealed that he 'zoned
out for quite a while' as he came to terms with the loss.The
star, who signed a new one-year contract with west London team Chelsea
back in May, has just started a new season following a lazy summer with
his family.

29 Aug 2013

He is the movie star who is proud of his musical theatre roots.So
no wonder Hugh Jackman seemed so excited to come face-to-face with a
traditional kabuki stagehand as he promoted The Wolverine in Japan on
Thursday.The giant Aussie
seemed fascinated with the mystery man all dressed in black as he got
ready to take part in a press conference in Tokyo.

Hugh are you? Jackman looked confused as he stepped onto the stage at a Wolverine press conference in Japan on Thursday

In kabuki, the classical
Japanese dance-drama for the elaborate make-up worn by performers,
stagehands rush onto the stage adding and removing props, backdrops and
other scenery.However these
kuroko are always dressed entirely in black and are traditionally
considered invisible, a convention the 44-year-old did not seem to quite
understand.

While he
had a ball with the stage worker, he got an even more pleasant surprise
when his co-star Hiroyuki Sanada appeared to shake his hand before
business commenced.

Baring his claws: The jolly actor gave the assembled crowd a wave as he got ready to get down to business

He can see you: Hugh does not seem to understand kabuki stagehands are supposed to go unnoticed

Fancy seeing you here: The macho star giggled with glee when co-star Hiroyuki Sanada appeared on stage

The film should do a
roaring trade in the land of the rising sun, for while the main
character is Canadian, all of the action takes place there.

Hugh's latest film follows X-Men
Origins: Wolverine, which was released in 2009 and despite dividing
critics still made an impressive $374 million at the worldwide box
office.The next installment of the franchise will be X Men: Days of Future Past, which will be released next year.Hugh has described Wolverine as a 'career defining role' saying: 'It may be the strongest of all the roles I've played.'

Having a laugh: The actor showed good humour throughout as he listened to questions

Talking X Factor? Louis seemed in good spirits as he joined Simon and Lauren for dinner

Travelling in style: Lauren and Simon arrived in a chauffeur-driven car with white leather interiors

Simon's evening at an Italian eaterie comes after his surprising lunch trip to affordable French chain restaurant Cafe Rouge.

Despite having spent the past few weeks on the French Riviera, Simon was still in the mood for Gallic cuisine.

The
53-year-old music mogul was spotted surveying a menu as they sat outside
a branch of Café Rouge - where the average lunch set menu costs £9.95
($15.45) for two courses.

Sitting on opposite sides of a small outdoor table, the
couple held hands and talked quietly amongst themselves, seemingly oblivious to
the stir their presence had created amongst fellow diners.

So happy: Lauren looks thrilled to be with Simon after a stressful few weeks

What's so funny? Lauren seemed comfortable with the Irish music mogul

Protective: Simon is making sure Lauren eats well during her pregnancy by taking her out for meals

Glamourous: Sharon Osbourne, returned to The
Claridge's hotel after a night out in London on Wednesday dressed in a
sophisticated black ensemble with jewelled drop earrings

Returned: Sharon Osbourne returned to The Claridge's hotel holding a yellow card in her hand on Wednesday evening

Just the three of us: Simon Cowell and his
pregnant lover Lauren Silverman enjoy a not so private lunch at cafe
Rouge in Knightsbridge

Hand to hand: The couple were in a tactile mood on Wednesday afternoon

The pair made the surprising decision to sit at an outdoor
table despite being fully aware of the potential intrusions it entailed.

However, Cowell appeared to be in a cheerful mood as he thoughtfully stroked his chin,
while Mrs Silverman quietly sipped from a glass of mineral water.

Having returned from a sunshine break in St Tropez by
private jet on Tuesday, they looked refreshed after a day out in Knightsbridge,
where they paid a visit to Harrods before making their way to the Basil Street
branch of Café Rouge arm in arm.

Deep thinker: Cowell adopts a thoughtful pose while Ms. Silverman drinks from a glass of mineral water

Let's order: Simon Cowell raises his sunglasses so her can get a better look at the menu at Cafe Rouge

Taking orders: A waitress serves the couple during their visit to Cafe Rouge on Wednesday

While Ms. Silverman’s growing baby bump was highly visible
during her trip to the French Riviera, it was harder to see during her latest
outing, for which she wore a loose fitting white top, skinny jeans and strappy
heels.

At one point Cowell happily obliged a passers-by with a
string of photographs with his pregnant lover looked on impassively.

The pair were in a tactile mood and clearly happy to prove
it to those in attendance by regularly stroking one another’s hands.

Her we go again: Simon Cowell is the centre of
attention after opting for a seat at an outdoor table, in full view of
the street

Standing room only: Cowell and his lover are on their feet for another photo

He's not camera shy: Cowell is all smiles as a passer-by grabs a photo of the music mogul while pregnant Ms. Silverman looks on

Cowell is back in the UK as The X Factor gears up for a
welcome return to ITV this Saturday, when the series ten curtain-raiser kicks
off.

The couple were joined on their flight back from France by
the music mogul’s ex-girlfriend and regular X Factor assistant Sinitta.

The
80's star was with the couple as they left Nice Airport, but by the
time Simon arrived home with Lauren, she had disappeared.

Happy together: Cowell stepped out with Ms. Silverman earlier that day fro a spot of shopping in Knightsbridge

Stepping out: Simon and Lauren ventured for a spot of shopping before heading to Cafe Rouge for some lunch

Fancy seeing you here: Ms. Silverman greets photographers with a smile as she arrives at cafe Rouge on Wednesday

After
five days with Lauren on the French Riviera, Simon and 36-year-old Silverman headed back as the music mogul prepares for a new
season of his hit show which has suffered a fall in ratings in recent
years.Lauren and Simon hadn't seen each other for weeks since news of their romance and subsequent pregnancy first broke.However, after Lauren and estranged husband Andrew reached a divorce agreement, she has been free to join Simon.

John Lewis HQ in London, and I'm
surrounded by the new collection of womenswear for autumn/winter, with
the head buyer Jo Hooper and chief designer Iain Ewing, and they are
asking me the 64,000-dollar question: have I ever bought a piece of
clothing from John Lewis?Like
many of us, while I have bought Miele vacuum cleaners, Le Creuset pans,
duvets and pillows, a fridge, and TVs, plus food in the Waitrose in the
basement, I have never, ever bought fashion from John Lewis. It would just never cross my mind even to buy knickers here: it's too safe, too mainstream, too boring. Even
a refit for the fashion floors at key stores nationwide, completed in
2008, didn't change my mind. John Lewis just isn't on my fashion radar.

In the pink (L) This coat is alpaca plush -
which means it’s soft, furry, warm and repels rain - and is beautifully
lined and finished inside. The colour is key, making it a fashion piece.
And while it’s more expensive than a similar coat at M&S, which is
£85, it’s a slouchier shape, with more volume. These grey ponte
trousers are great for work, with the John Lewis trademark high waist,
which makes legs seem longer and keeps the tummy under control. The bag
is hot pink - again key for winter, with so many brands, including
Prada, sticking to dull old red, burgundy and black. Liz wears pink
coat, £190, grey trousers, £59, pink handbag, £69, and necklace, £25,
all Collection by John Lewis. White shirt, £79, Reiss, Black court.

Simply
sexy (R) I would buy this black wool tux: it has an interesting
geometric shape, and no fiddly buttons or fastenings which litter the
suits at M&S. The Somerset by Alice Temperley leather pencil skirt
is a really good length, great for work or sexed up for a date, and has a
back zip, not the side-zip you'd find at M&S. Though I'm not
super-keen on Temperley's range of shoes for the store, these are
high-octane glamour and comfortable.Black tux jacket, £99, and
ivory silk sleeveless blouse, £49, both Collection by John Lewis. Black
leather pencil skirt, £199, and ankle-strap heels, £120, both Somerset
by Alice Temperley

But it seems John Lewis, and
most notably Jo Hooper - a blonde powerhouse who is approaching 50 and
rocks a floral cashmere scarf (£99 from John Lewis, while similar
scarves at Mulberry are over £200) and Prada checked bag - wants to
change all that.Mindful of
the renaissance taking place over at Marks & Spencer under the
direction of style supremo Belinda Earl, it's clear the people here are
tired of all the attention been given to its rivals, what with its new
ad campaign featuring Helen Mirren et al. John
Lewis is ready to fight back. Fed up of being in the shadows, it wants a
much bigger share of the female fashion pie. So can John Lewis really
take the place of M&S in our hearts? Is this new landmark collection
really capable of tempting flocks of M&S-loving, middle-aged women
through its doors?

It's clear its fashion team
thinks so. Indeed, Jo is keen to tell me that while M&S's sales have
dropped over the past few years, sales of womenswear at John Lewis have
soared, up 40 per cent in the past five years. Who came up with the idea of vamping up its womenswear? 'It's been five years in the planning,' insists Jo, keen not to be seen to be jumping on the latest M&S bandwagon.John
Lewis wasn't doing terribly at womenswear, but for a retailer with such
a place in British hearts for other products, it certainly wasn't doing
brilliantly. However, it has a loyal fan base: mainly mums who come
with their daughters.

Cream de la creme (L) Somerset by Alice
Temperley is exclusive to John Lewis and a real coup. You could almost
get married in this dress. It's beautifully lined, and well-cut, and
proves how brilliant she is at dresses.It's a nice change, too, from
all her very feminine prints, pyjama suits and frilly, Edwardian
blouses. A mainline Temperley dress would set you back over £300. This
is a third of that. The necklace is from the vintage selection on the
ground floor at Oxford Street: affordable and unique. Cream lace
pencil dress, £99, Somerset by Alice Temperley. Gold necklace, £325,
Eclectica. Maroon handbag, £158, DKNY. Shoes, £140, Kurt Geiger

Soft
yet strong (R) Yes, the jacket is £300, which is more than an M&S
black biker (£249), but it's fantastic, the best I've seen for winter.
It's super-soft, not too girly, not too short and has a great detail:
ribbed wool insets in the sleeves, which makes it very Rick Owens, a
designer label that would cost more than £1,000. The dress, which is
silk, is lovely if you are about 20 years old, but I found it a bit
flimsy. It should be lined. Patterned dress, £89, Collection by John Lewis. Leather jacket, £299, Kin. Black and gold sandals, £130, Carvela

The seeds of change were sewn
in 2012 when it secured a huge coup by convincing Alice Temperley to
design an exclusive range. Called Somerset and now in its third season,
it features her signature prints, and ultra-feminine blouses and
dresses, at a fraction of the price of her mainline label.Suddenly,
women began to notice John Lewis - the Somerset debut collection was
the fastest-selling in the store's history - and Jo Hooper realised
upping the style ante was the way to go.Jo,
who is married to a financial director and has three sons, lives in
Wandsworth, South London, grew up in the Wirral and her first job, aged
21, was styling fashion catalogues at Littlewoods. Like
M&S's Belinda Earl, Jo cut her teeth at Debenhams as head of
womenswear buying and was key to the success of Designers at Debenhams.
Now she and Earl are in direct opposition, and you can tell she relishes
the competition between the two behemoths of the British High Street.So
who is a nose ahead this winter? Who should you visit to buy your key
autumn pieces - the new work suit, the stylish winter coat?Well,
unlike Earl at M&S, who has championed a capsule collection for men
and women that is entirely British made, Jo Hooper doesn't believe the
future is in British manufacturing. She feels the expertise is not here,
and that prices would be too high (John Lewis manufactures in China,
India and Europe). But on the whole, prices at John Lewis (for cashmere,
for leather bikers) are higher than at M&S. How does she justify
this?

All wrapped up (L) I love, love, love the
cashmere at John Lewis. Rather than having a ribbed hem, which makes it
cling, this jumper has a shift shape, an asymmetric hem (i.e., it has a
bit of a tail which covers the bottom) and comes in really zingy
colours. Again, though, it's £20 more than at M&S. I wouldn't buy
jeans from John Lewis: its own-brand ones have ghastly ribbed
waistbands. These James for John Lewis jeans feel mumsy. But this Toast
coat is super-warm and stylish. Yellow wool coat, £295, Toast. Green
cashmere jumper, £99, Collection Weekend. Black jeans, £140, James. Nude
court shoes, £160, Kurt Geiger. Bag, £185, Somerset by Alice Temperley

Well-suited
(R) I had to be persuaded into this suit, which is too fitted for me
whereas I like a man-ish cut. But if you are petite, this would be a
wonderful, versatile buy. The jacquard, too, is very this season, while
the trousers skim the ankle nicely. The jacket isn't quite long enough
to avoid that awkward exposure of the fly zip, but thank God the
trousers at John Lewis have flies, not awful, mumsy side zips. The belts
are great: patent and narrow in hot colours. Blue and black Jacquard
trousers, £59, matching blazer, £99, and navy snakeskin belt, £25,
Collection by John Lewis. Ivory sculptured top, £75, Whistles. Navy
court shoes, £195, LK Bennett

'We are all about value for
money. We are never going to sell something that is badly made or will
fall apart. And our customers don't want that. This summer, our
bestseller has been a linen tank top at £35. 'Yes, you could find it cheaper elsewhere, but ours was really the best. 'I
can't take credit for the brand's 150 years of trust. I have to earn it
afresh, season in, season out. I've worked in this business for 20
years, and I don't think fashion has ever been this diverse or this
speedy.'I think where John
Lewis really scores is in its design manager for womenswear and
accessories, Iain Ewing, 45, who joined the store in 2010 from Oasis,
and who has excellent taste: his inspiration comes from designers
Alexander Wang and Helmut Lang. He
is all about old-fashioned tailoring, avoiding ever being mumsy, and
use of cool fabrics and bright colours. He is a brilliant find, and I
hope he's not snapped up by the likes of Mulberry any time soon.Another
great John Lewis innovation is that key looks will be put together on
store mannequins, in ads and on billboards. They're even labelled with
names like 'hard-edged heritage', 'pastel luxe' and 'sports luxe'. Jo
says this means the shopper, who they have found spends just seven
seconds trying to find what she wants before turning up her nose, will
not have to work too hard to put a look together, but will have it
signposted. Is Jo as
obsessed with sleeves as Belinda Earl, who believes it's the key to
M&S's success as older women just don't want to show their arms?

Liz found the perfect white stretchy shirt and a vintage statement necklace at John Lewis

'I am,' she says. 'The majority of our dresses have sleeves: three-quarter, or long and skinny and just covering the hand.' Middle-aged women everywhere, rejoice. Your bingo wings will be covered up here.Of
course, where John Lewis differs from M&S is that alongside its
own-brand Collection, Weekend and Kin ranges (Kin is its quite plain,
Scandinavian-influenced brand for all the family), it also sells
well-known brands such as Barbour, LK Bennett and Toast. I
think this is a huge plus: women can take a great piece from Whistles,
say, and just add to it the John Lewis Collection cashmere and that
wonderful John Lewis innovation to finish it all off - vintage costume
jewellery that is both affordable and unique.But where John Lewis falls down is in its own-brand shoes and bags. Even the Somerset shoes are just awful. In
the Oxford Street flagship store, I have no idea why bags are not sold
on the same floor as the shoes. They should change this, and fast. But on the whole, Jo Hooper has her priorities just right. She
is rolling out this new fashion ethos to every store in the land. She
listens to what her shoppers have to say, but is not afraid to
experiment.While there are
a few too many M&S doppelgangers - jackets and dresses embellished
with leather trim, waterfall cardigans, cowboy boots ('But people love
these!' she wails) and really stiff, ghastly lace dresses - on the
whole, I'm amazed that here I could find the perfect white stretchy
shirt, a vintage statement necklace, a perfect cashmere sweater and a
sticky-outy pink skirt.It feels cooler than M&S by a shade, which makes sense, given Jo says her mantra has been: 'Be braver!'Who will Jo work with next? Emilia Wickstead? Manolo Blahnik? 'We have a few names in the pipeline,' is all she will say. A
lot will rest on how each store does come Christmas party season. I
have the feeling John Lewis will have a few less sequins than its rivals
at M&S. Let the battle commence!

Accepting an award at MTV VMAs on Sunday, Taylor Swift appeared to make fun of her ex-boyfriend Harry Styles.And while Harry has tried to remain polite when regards his high-profile ex, his One Direction bandmates have defended him.Liam
Payne, 19, hit out at the blonde singer, claiming her speech thanking
the ex who 'inspired' her hit song I Knew You Were Trouble was 'not
needed'.

Speaking to Us Weekly at the New York premiere of 1D's film This Is Us, Liam said: 'I just thought it was a bit not needed.'I mean, you just won an award, it's like, concentrate on yourself.'When asked if he thought Taylor's behaviour was 'lame', he replied: 'Yeah.'

Making a pop: Taylor Swift thanked an ex-boyfriend for inspiring her as she accept an award at the MTV VMAs on Sunday

This is uncomfortable: Harry starred at the ceiling during Taylor's speech while his bandmates Niall and Louis chuckled about it

Despite
having broken up nearly eight months ago, Taylor and Harry's romance
was back in the spotlight again after she appeared to refer to their
failed relationship in her acceptance speech for Best Female Video.It
is believed Taylor wrote the song with Harry in mind after their first
attempt at romance in March 2012, when she was said to be heartbroken
when he was pictured kissing American model Emma Ostily in New Zealand a
few weeks later.However,
she gave him a second try last November, with the young couple dating
for just over two months before splitting in January this year after a
row on holiday in the British Virgin Islands.

Awkward: Harry and Taylor ended up partying with their mutual friend Ed Sheeran after the ceremony

When
she won an award for the song in question at Sunday's ceremony, Taylor
said: 'I also want to thank the person that inspired this song, and he
knows exactly who he is, because I got one of these!'Footage
of Taylor at the VMAs also suggest she mouthed the words 'shut the f**k
up' as Harry and his bandmates walked on stage to present an award.Speaking
at the New York premiere, another one of Harry's 1D bandmates Louis
Tomlinson joked that Taylor wrote the song about Niall Horan.

This is their moment: One Direction were booed when they accepted the Song Of The Summer Award)

He said: 'We were a bit confused. We thought she was actually calling out Niall so the whole thing's a bit confusing.'Niall added: 'I don't know, she just started writing songs about me...'Louis added: 'She became obsessed with you, didn't she now?'Harry then joined in, claiming he had 'had words' with Taylor over Niall: 'I said, you know, she needs to leave him alone.'I said, "Niall is a nice guy".'

Intense: Taylor stares at her ex-boyfriend as he accepts his award on stage

Liam continued the joke, referring to
Kanye West's famous interruption of Taylor's acceptance speech at the
2009 MTV VMAs, adding: 'Hashtag get over it... I was going to do a
Kanye! "It's the best video of all time!"'In
an interview with US TV show Extra, Harry played down Taylor's
comments, insisting: 'I like a joke as much as the next guy, so it's all
good.'After the show at
the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Harry ended up partying at the same
venue with Taylor and their mutual friend Ed Sheeran.The pair set the Twittersphere alight when the exes appeared in the same photo - separated by Ed and another pal.Harry explained: 'Yeah, I went for a drink with Ed… and some friends. It was good.'

Fleeting: Taylor and Harry briefly dated from November 2012 until early January 2013